As you have probably already guessed if you’ve read my blog, I love visiting all the Disney parks around the world and Shanghai Disneyland which opened in June 2016 is no exception. Since my first visit during opening week, I have visited several more times since and finally returned to Shanghai Disneyland once again this week in October 2023 after many years of not being able to visit China – we all know what happened there! So many people have asked me various questions about the park over the years so I decided to list all the tips, tricks, help, advice and handy need-to-know (as well as up to date and current) information that I can think of in one place. I really hope that this blog will help anyone who is planning a trip to Shanghai.

So here is my planning guide for Shanghai Disneyland:

You Will Need a Visa to Visit China

The majority of visitors to Mainland China will require an expensive tourist visa to enter the country for which you will have to visit the Chinese Embassy or Visa Centre where you live. However if you are transferring onto a third country (and not flying straight back to the same country that you arrived from) and hold a ticket for a confirmed onward flight, you will be eligible for the 144 Hour Visa Free transfer scheme if you hold a passport from a participating country.

For example, you can use the 144 Hour Visa Free Transfer to fly from London – Shanghai – Hong Kong – London, London – Tokyo – Shanghai – London or even London – Hong Kong – Shanghai – Tokyo – London so you could easily be able to combine your visit to Shanghai Disneyland with a trip to both Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort.

When to Visit Shanghai Disneyland

In the summer months, Shanghai will be incredibly hot, humid, sweaty and uncomfortable whilst in the winter, it can get bitterly cold. The weather in Spring and Autumn is usually mild making them the most comfortable times of the year to visit. Make sure to avoid weekends, summer break and public holidays – especially the Chinese New Year period, the Mid Autumn Festival and Golden Week – as the park will be extremely crowded. You can also check the ticket prices as Shanghai Disneyland has different levels of pricing which will give you a good idea of when the park is expected to be busy.

How to Get to Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland is located in the Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone in Pudong at the very end of Line 11 of the quick and efficient Shanghai Metro. The travel time from People’s Square in the centre of Shanghai to Disney Resort station is 45 minutes with one easy line change at Oriental Sports Center and costs 6 RMB (70p / 80c).

If you are planning on using the Metro a lot whilst you are in Shanghai, it is definitely worth buying a reloadable Shanghai Public Transportation Card to make your life a lot easier. If you do not have a card then it is recommended to buy your return Metro ticket when you arrive at Disney Resort station so that you can avoid the long lines to buy tickets at the station after the park closes in the evening. Also make sure that you know what time the last train leaves Disney Resort station so that you do not miss it.

If travelling from Pudong Aiport straight to Shanghai Disney Resort, a taxi is the quickest, easiest and most direct option – it should take about 40 minutes and cost approximately £10 / US$15. If using taxis during your stay, make sure to take a card from your hotel with both the hotel name and address written in Mandarin on it as most taxi drivers do not understand any English – it is a good idea to always have one of these cards with you as you never know when you might need it.

Where to Stay at Shanghai Disneyland

If you want to stay as close to the parks as you can, there are two onsite hotels – the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the Toy Story Hotel. If staying at these two hotels, you can take advantage of the one hour early entry into the park each morning through a separate entrance in Disneytown therefore avoiding the crowds at the main entrance at park opening which is a huge advantage. The full list of benefits from staying at one of the two on site hotels is listed on the Shanghai Disney Resort website.

There are also hotels situated a short distance from the resort – the Meliá Shanghai Parkside is the closest walkable non-Disney hotel to the park whilst the Courtyard Marriott Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone and the Novotel Clover are both located close to Kangxin Highway Metro Station on Line 11 of the Shanghai Metro which is only one stop from Disney Resort station.

It is also completely possible to stay in the city of Shanghai itself during your stay as I have done on every trip as the resort is easily accessible by the Shanghai Metro or by taxi.

How Many Days are Needed to Visit Shanghai Disneyland

I have now visited Shanghai Disneyland five times – each time only for a day and I still have not seen everything that the park has to offer and the new Zootopia land will be opening soon so I am already planning another visit in the near future. If travelling to Shanghai specifically to visit Disneyland, I would suggest allowing two to three full days to visit the park at a comfortable pace which gives you enough time to do all the rides and attractions, meet characters, see some of the shows and parades as well as leaving plenty of time to ride Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure again and again – believe me, you will want to! But also make sure to also allow for a day or two in your travel plans to explore the sights of Shanghai itself – it’s an amazing and fascinating city to visit with an incredible skyline and somewhere you have to go!

Download the Shanghai Disneyland App

Before you arrive in China, make sure to download the Shanghai Disneyland app and create an account. On the app, you will be able to book park tickets and hotels, check wait times for rides and attractions, look up show and parade times as well as book Premier Access passes once you arrive inside the park.

Buy Your Shanghai Disneyland Tickets Online Before You Arrive

At this time you can only purchase tickets in advance to visit Shanghai Disneyland as tickets are no longer sold on the day at the park entrance – you can do this from a couple of weeks beforehand or as I have done on my last few visits, the evening before whilst sitting in my hotel room. Tickets can easily be purchased on the Shanghai Disney Resort website or app though I have personally found the website easier to use when paying with an international credit card. You can only buy One-Day or Two-Day tickets so you will need to purchase extra tickets if planning on spending three or four days in the park.

You will also need to enter your passport number for each ticket purchased – this is common practice in China so there is nothing to worry about. Tickets are date specific but you are able to change the date twice as long as the change is made at least two days in advance of your visit. Once you have booked your tickets, you will be able to see them listed in the “My Plans” section on the Shanghai Disneyland app.

It is also possible to buy both one day and two day tickets in advance through Klook which works out slightly cheaper than buying direct through Disney. Once again, each person will need to present their passport at the turnstile to gain entry to the park.

The above are affiliate links through Klook. Any tickets purchased from these links earns myself a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Arrive Early at Shanghai Disneyland

This is something that you will read everywhere and it’s true – if not staying onsite and using the early and separate park entrance benefit, it is best to arrive at Shanghai Disneyland as early as possible. Even if visiting on a quiet day, the queues to get through security and through the turnstiles and into the park when you arrive can be a sight to behold. On a busy day, I would recommend arriving at least an hour before opening time and my top tip is to make a quick stop at the Starbucks in Disneytown close to the park entrance to get a tea or a coffee to drink whilst you are waiting in line.

You Will Need Your Passport to Enter Shanghai Disneyland

When visiting Shanghai Disneyland you will need to present your passport to one of the Cast Members when you get to the turnstiles at the entrance of the park. Do not bring a photocopy or a scan/photo of your passport with you as it will not be accepted and it is also a requirement that you carry your actual passport on you at all times when in China. They will enter your passport number into the computer to find your booking, take your photo and then issue your paper ticket – it really is such an easy system to use.

Premier Access at Shanghai Disneyland

The old free Fastpass service at Shanghai Disneyland no longer exists and has been replaced by Disney Premier Access where you can pay to skip the line once at each of the following attractions:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure – Treasure Cove
Soaring Over the Horizon – Adventure Isle
Roaring Rapids – Adventure Isle
Challenge Trails at Camp Discovery – Adventure Isle
Tron Lightcycle Power Run – Tomorrowland
Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue – Tomorrowland
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – Fantasyland
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Fantasyland
Peter Pan’s Flight – Fantasyland
Voyage to the Crystal Grotto – Fantasyland
Dumbo the Flying Elephant – Gardens of Imagination
Rex’s Racer – Toy Story Land
Woody’s Roundup – Toy Story Land

Once inside the park you can use the Shanghai Disneyland app to purchase individual Premier Access passes and there are also several different Premier Access sets that are available to buy as well.

To use the Premier Access pass that you have purchased, go to the Priority Access entrance of the attraction and scan the QR code on your phone screen. At this time the Cast Member will check that the photo that was taken of you when you entered the park which is linked to your entrance ticket matches you before you can enter the line – the reason for this is to make sure the person who purchased the pass is the one who uses it as there used to be a huge problem with people buying up all of the passes for the popular rides and then reselling them inside the park at a hugely inflated price and this simple fix stopped that issue immediately.

Using the Internet at Shanghai Disneyland

There is free wifi available across the park and in Disneytown however if you have not been to Mainland China before then you may or may not know about “The Great Firewall of China”. Whilst in the country, you will not be able to access Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok or anything owned by Google as well as news sites from around the world amongst many others – the list is endless! One way to access these websites is to purchase and set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) before you go. However there is no guarantee that this will work once you arrive in China as I found out on my last visit when my VPN which I had always used with no issues on every other visit would no longer work anymore. The only messaging apps that will currently work with no restrictions without a VPN whilst in China are iMessage and WeChat.

On some of my trips to China, I have used the international data roaming on my iPhone to access the internet and as my connection was routed back through the UK, I could access all blocked websites.

It is also possible to purchase a travel e-SIM through Airalo which will enable you to access unrestricted data on your phone without the need for a VPN when in China. If you would like to use my referral code NIKKI8866 when signing up, you will receive £2.50 / $3 off your first purchase.

The Chinese Language at Shanghai Disneyland

Although it is completely possible to enjoy your trip to Shanghai Disneyland without knowing any Mandarin, it is always a good idea to learn a few useful words before you go such as Ni Hao (Hello) and Xie Xie (Thank You). All of the rides, attractions and shows are in Mandarin but I have found that this does not detract at all from your experience inside the park. Signs and menus are in English as are most announcements and some Cast Members can speak basic English – some may be better than others but they are all very friendly and will try to help you as much as they can and once inside the park I have found that the best English speakers are located at Guest Services.

I would also recommend having a translation app available on your phone at all times when travelling in China as it will be very useful to have as you never know when you may need it.

The Chinese Currency and Credit Cards

The currency in China is the Renminbi (RMB) and is also known as the Yuan (CNY). One of the major things that has changed in China in the last few years is that foreign credit cards are not as widely accepted as they used to be and you will have trouble using them – when I visited Shanghai earlier this year, none of my cards would work anywhere even at places that always used to accept them such as Shanghai Disneyland! However the easy solution to this is before you travel to China, make sure to download and set up Alipay which is a mobile payment app that is accepted everywhere in China which now lets you add an international credit card to your account.

After struggling to pay for things on my last visit (as even cash is not as widely accepted as it used to be as many places are now mobile payment only), having Alipay available to use whilst in Shanghai made life so easy whilst I was in China – I would say this is something that is essential and that you definitely need to have when visiting.

Shopping at Shanghai Disneyland and the Package Pick-Up Service

You will inevitably end up in one of the many shops inside the park during your stay. If you do find yourself wanting to purchase everything and not wanting to carry it around with you all day, then you can use the free-of-charge Package Pick-Up service. Your shopping will then be available to collect when you leave the park at the end of the day from the desk located by the park exit. I have used this service on nearly every trip and it is so easy and convenient and guests staying at both the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel as well as the Toy Story Hotel can also have their shopping delivered directly to their hotel.

If you are buying any clothing, some of the shops (such as World of Disney in Disneytown and Avenue M Arcade on Mickey Avenue) have fitting rooms so you are able to try everything on before you buy it to make sure it fits.

What to Bring With You to Shanghai Disneyland

There are a few items to bring with you to Shanghai Disneyland that will help to make your visit a little better.

Comfortable Shoes
You will be amazed by the sheer size of Shanghai Disneyland – most of your day will be spent walking between attractions and as everything is so spread out compared to the other parks around the world, prepare to be on your feet a lot! On my very first visit, I walked over fourteen miles in one day!

Umbrella
Make sure to pack an umbrella as it will be essential both for when it rains as well for much needed shade when the sun is out – you will see a lot of people doing this when you are in the park.

Water Bottle
Try to do your bit for the environment and bring your own water bottle as there are numerous drinking water fountains located everywhere throughout the park and do not worry as this water is safe to drink. This is truly invaluable during the summer months when staying hydrated in the hot and humid weather is essential.

Powerbank
There is nothing worse than your phone running low on power during the day at the park – especially if taking photos or using the Wifi which will both drain your battery incredibly quickly.

Fan
During the summer months, a battery-powered hand held fan will help you to stay cool. It really is a life saver.

What to Eat at Shanghai Disneyland

There are numerous restaurants at Shanghai Disneyland all offering a variety of dishes including Chinese, Asian and Western food. A full detailed list with menus can be found on the Shanghai Disney Resort website. All of the restaurants inside the park are Quick Service with the exception of the Royal Banquet Hall located inside the Enchanted Storybook Castle. One restaurant you have to visit (even just to get a cold drink or a snack) is Barbossa’s Bounty located in Treasure Cove where you can actually sit and watch the boats on Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure sail by – the detail throughout this whole restaurant is incredible.

As a vegetarian there are very limited options to eat inside Shanghai Disneyland (as of October 2023) but thankfully there is a Cheesecake Factory located just outside the park in Disneytown which has a lot of meat-free options on the menu – this is also a great way to get out of the park for an hour and sit down and rest your feet in the air conditioning whilst you eat and recharge your batteries ready for the rest of the day.

The CookieAnn Bakery Café located at the end of Mickey Avenue is a great place to pick up a snack whilst waiting for the parade or the fireworks whilst another must-visit on Mickey Avenue is Il Paperino for Donald Duck-shaped waffles and a look at Donald Duck’s family tree on the wall.

There are two restaurants at Shanghai Disney Resort which offer Character Dining – Lumiere’s Kitchen at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the Royal Banquet Hall inside the Enchanted Storybook Castle in the park – they are both popular so making a reservation before you arrive is recommended.

Take a Break From the Park During the Day in Disneytown

Disneytown is located right next to the entrance to Shanghai Disneyland and is a great place to take a break from the park during the day. The shops that you can find include the World of Disney, Lego, Disney Home and Pandora whilst the many restaurants include the Cheesecake Factory, Wolfgang Puck Kitchen, Ippudo, Blue Frog, Donald’s Dine ‘n Delights and Starbucks. The full list is on the Shanghai Disney Resort website.

To get to and from Disneytown you can use the main park entrance or the second entrance located close to the Walt Disney Theatre in Disneytown and between Mickey Avenue and Tomorrowland inside the park – this is the entrance that the on-site hotel guests use at park opening.

If you truly want peace and quiet for a few minutes, walk along to Wishing Star Lake where you can find many spots to sit down and relax before heading back to the park – there is even a giant Donald Duck floating on the lake to take a selfie with!

There are no re-admit handstamps – to get back into the park, you just need to present your paper ticket at the turnstiles.

Where to Watch the Parade and Fireworks at Shanghai Disneyland

The daily parade at Shanghai Disneyland is called Mickey’s Storybook Express and if you want an unobstructed view with no heads in the way, you will need to stake out a spot in plenty of time as it will get very crowded (with absolutely no personal space) just before the parade begins. The parade starts between Toy Story Land and Tomorrowland before travelling around Gardens of Imagination and past Mickey Avenue and finishing between Treasure Cove and Fantasyland.

The night time show is called Illuminate! A Nighttime Celebration and features fireworks as well as fountains and projections on the Enchanted Storybook Castle. Once again if you want a good view you will need to grab your spot at least an hour (if not earlier) before the show starts. My favourite place to watch the show is further back in Gardens of Imagination away from the huge crowds who stand closer to the front – if you stand by one of the fences, you can have an unobstructed view of the castle across the water which is perfect in my eyes.

Other Useful Information about Shanghai Disneyland

Contrary to some reports online, the toilets at Shanghai Disneyland are as clean as they come (cleaner than most other parks) and there are plenty of Western-style toilets as well as Chinese-style squat toilets. The Western-style toilets are usually located towards the back of the bathrooms and have a sign on the door. As most of the park guests are Chinese – you never have to queue to use the Western-style toilets.

If you are a fan of Coca-Cola, then I’m sorry to inform you that Coke products are not available at Shanghai Disneyland – it’s Pepsi products instead.

Instead of Main Street USA, you will find Mickey Avenue at the entrance to the park. Make sure to spend some time here looking at all the details – there are a lot everywhere you look! As much as you might be tempted to look around Mickey Avenue at park opening, leave it until the afternoon when the whole area is much quieter than earlier in the day.

If you can, ride both Tron Lightcycle Power Run and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto at night as well as during the day. When lit up in the evenings, these rides are on another level.

LinaBell is the character that everyone wants to see at Shanghai Disneyland however the line to meet her at Tribal Table can reach several hours so be prepared for a long wait. The LinaBell merchandise is also incredibly popular and you will see the shelves being picked clean of anything LinaBell throughout the day so if you see something you want when you arrive at the park in the morning, make sure to buy it there and then as it will not be there later.

If it’s a rainy day, then there are plenty of indoor shows you can watch which are on numerous times throughout the day including Tarzan: Call of the Jungle, Frozen: A Sing-Along Celebration and Eye of the Storm: Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular. The only thing you need to be aware of is all of these shows are performed in Mandarin but as the shows are so visual, you do not need to understand what is being said to enjoy it.

Do not miss Tai Chi with Character in Melody Garden if it is showing on the day you visit – Chip and Dale along with Donald Duck doing Tai Chi? It’s brilliant!

Visit Shanghai Disneyland With an Open Mind

I had visited every other Disney park in the world before my first visit to Shanghai Disneyland so I was naturally worried that the park was never going to live up to the stupidly high expectations that I had built up in my head. Thankfully I was blown away – nothing could have prepared me for how much I loved and still love Shanghai Disneyland to this day.

Yes there were so many over-the-top sensationalist headlines about the park and guest behaviour when the park opened but in five visits, I have not seen anything of the sort happen. It makes me so incredibly angry that there are people who believe everything that is written in the press. Yes there are always going to be isolated incidents but that is the same wherever you go in the world. Please ignore what the newspapers write – I have personally never seen anyone smoking outside of one of the smoking areas, I’ve never seen any graffitti in the park or Disneytown, I have never seen anything trashed, I have not seen any litter that wasn’t immediately cleaned up like it is in every other park and I still have not seen anyone using one of the flowerbeds as a toilet!

China is a fascinating and incredibly interesting place. Yes there will be many cultural differences that you have to get used to (such as very little personal space at times), but that is all part of the fun and adventure of travelling to another country. Go with an open mind and accept that some things are done a different way to what you are used to and you will have an amazing time!

My most recent visit to Shanghai Disney Resort was in September 2024. I have updated this blog with all the current information which was correct at time of publication. However be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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